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(No Modem 5 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. DQSLATER.

ENVELOPE MACHINE. No. 288,673. Patented Nov. 20, 1883..

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(No Model.) 5 SheetsSheet 2.

W. D. SLATER.

ENVELOPE MACHINE. No. 288,673. v PatentedNov. 20, 1883.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 4.

W. 1). SLATER.

ENVELOPE MACHINE. No. 288,678. Patented Nov, 20,1883.

(No Model.) 5 Sheets-Sheet 5.

W. D. SLATER.

ENVELOPE MACHINE.

Patented Nov. 20,- 1883.

,172 (1 7 (Z 07 U 7 /%Z[L.C677OZ],

UNITED STATES PATENT EFrcE.

WILLIAM SLATER, OF SPRINGFIELD, MAssAcHUsErTs, ASSIGNOR- To THE MORGAN ENVELOPE COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

MACHINE.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 288,673, dated November 20, 1883.

Application tiled Octohcr 24, 1881. (Nomodcl) To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM D. SLATER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Springfield, in the county of Hampden and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Envelope-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to certain improvements in envelope-machines for gumming and folding envelope-blanks which have beenpreviously cut to the proper shape, said blanks being placed in a pile upon a suitable feedtable to have one flap gummcd while thereon, to be taken thence tothe opposite end of the machine, where the gumming of the second flap is performed, and then folded and delivered in complete condition for packing in boxes in the usual manner.

It will be understood that portions of the machine not particularly described, and which pertain to the ordinary operations of machines of this class, may be constructed to operate in any suitable way to effect the desired result.

. stops removed from the machine.

In the drawings forming part of this specification, Figure l is a plan view of an'envelopemachine embodying my improvements. Fig. 2 is a perspective View, partly in section. Fig.

3 is a perspective view of the table of the malatter to the pile of envelope-blanks and its gum-roll.

One feature of my invention consists in the combination of horizontal and vertically-op crating gummers located at opposite ends of the machine, and acting one after the other 1 upon the blank to apply the gum thereto upon opposite edges thereof, and for insuring the application of suflicient gum to the reciprocating gum-roller.

, Another feature of my invention consists in a novel combination of pickup and separator devices, and of stop devices to prevent any backward motion of the blanks after having once been started toward the folding-box.

Other minor features of invention Will be understood from thefollowing detailed description ofthe parts, the particular subject-matter claimed being hereinafter definitely speci- In the drawings, A is the table of the ma chine, suitably located and secured npon the frame thereof, B. D are the blank-carrier rods. to is the vertical gummer. a is the gum-roll-serving to gum the vertical gummer. a are slotted gum-roll connecting-rods. a are cross-head guides. u is a rock-shaft.v a. are arms on shaft a. bis aflap-plate under the vertical gummer. b are connecting rod springs. b is the folding-box plunger. cindicates a groove in the flap-plate b. e are flapholders. c are blank-guide posts. 0 is the feed-arm. c is the air-tube lifter. c is the gunt-box for the vertical gummer. a isaconnecting-rod. 5 is the vertical gummer-rod. 6 is the vertical glimmer-shaft. 7 is an arnr, on shaft 6. e is an air-tube spring. 6 is an air-tube. e isa flexible air-tube. eisanairpump. d is the gllllllIlGI-IOll, serving to gum the gumm'er e, which is adapted to apply the gum to one edge of the blank while moving in a direction across its face. h is a gu1nn1crarm. h is a gummcr-arin spring. 71) is a pump-arm on shaft a. z are parallel blank ways or guides. i indicates the envelopeblanks. z" are blank-stops. are blank-stop holders. '6. are cross-heads. Pare cross-head guide-rods. o is a spring-separator.

Like letters refer to like parts in the several figures.

The picking-up, separating, and gumming mechanism of this machine embraces a train or series of devices which cooperate to remove the envelope-blank from the pile thereof upon the feed-table at one end of the machine to the folding-box at the opposite end thereof, and

to properly apply the gum to bothliaps of the separating mechanism, as follows: An air-tube, c", is fitted to slide up and down over one cor-- ner of the pile of blanks i, (see Fig. 6,) held loosely by a clamp, it, which is secured to the frame of the machine. Said air-tube is connected by a flexible tube, 6", with an air-pump, e, which is operated by means of any suitable connection wit-h the machine to cause said blanks to be drawn by pneumatic action against the lower end of said tube 6-, one after another. 011 one side of said tube-6 is a projecting stud,

n. A feed-arm, 0, lies upon the top of the pile of blanks '5. To the end thereof, which lies upon said pile, is given, by suitable connection with the operating parts of the machine, a reciprocating vertical motion. To the end of said feed-arm is secured a horizontal arm, 0', which reaches over to the side of tube a, under stud e thereon, and a springarm, 0, is likewise secured on arm 0", upon the top of arm a, the free end of which also reaches to the side of tube a, but above said stud e. To the part of frame 13 adjoining the rear side of said pile of blanks is secured a very flexible spring-separator, o, whose free end lies slightly over the edge of said pile, as shown in Fig. 6.

The top blank on the above-named pile, which is held down by arm a, is, previous to the operation of the above-described pickingup devices, gummed on one edge by the operation of the following devices: The gummer e is carried by the arm 71, which is pivoted to the shaft (1, and is forced downward by a spring, h, the end of which bears upon a short arm projecting from the side of arm 7:, as in Fig. l. Said arm h is provided with a second arm, e, standing at right angles thereto, and adapted to slide on the face of a supporting-block, o", upon which lies a guideblock, 12 secured to a pivoted arm, a. A spring, 12 serves to press block 11 against block '0. Said guide-block 0" is so formed that when arm 1;, carried by arm 72, moves back it will ride up over said block and drop off from its rear end onto block 0', and said arm will then move in the opposite direction, passing between blocks a and if. Thus as arnrh is given the requisite horizontal reciprocating motion to carry the gummer to the gum-roll d", and thence back to bring the gummer 0 over the flap of the blank which is to be gummed, the end of said arm which carries said gummer is given a reciprocating vertical motion to lift it above the blanks as it goes back, and to drop it upon the edge of the blank-flap as its motion is reversed, and thus deposit the gum thereon, as shown in Fig. 6,, doing so with a drawing motion toend of the machine, is as follows: The gum-' mer 0, having taken its gum from the gum-roll (1 is dropped upon the flap of the blank and carried toward and off from the edge, gumming it, as shown in Fig. 6. During said gumming the feed-arm c rests upon the pile of blanks,and hence the airtube spring 6, engaging with stud v on said tube, presses the open end thereof against the top blank of the pile. Immediately that said gummer passes off from the blank, as above described, the air-pump 0" so operates as to exhaust the air from tube 6 which action is immediately followed by the upward movement of feed-arm c, by which arm 0 thereon is carried against said stud on the air-tube, lifting up the latter and the edge of the top blank, which adheres toit. \Vhen said edge of the blank is so lifted, it slides by the flexible end of the separator a, and the latter at once falls upon the blanks under the one being lifted and effectually separates them from that one, so that only one at a time can be taken from the pile.

A blank-carrier (shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1) under arm h is adapted to grasp each blank by its rear edge after it has been gummed and picked up away from the blanks beneath it, as aforesaid, and, drawing it from the pile between the guides i, convey it toward the opposite end of the machine, first drawing said blank along on the ways i, just. be

yond the stops i nearest the pile of blanks,

there for the moment leaving said blank,

backward by the action of parts of the ma-' chine under it, or from other causes; and to obviate this danger the stops 1? are pivoted in the holders '5", and the latter are secured upon the ways i in such position that the free ends of said steps may drop by their own weight through slots in said ways formed for this purpose, and when a blank slides under them they lift to let it pass, and drop behind it, as shown in Fig. 3,'and prevent said backward movement. Said stops are particularly use ful in holding said blanks in proper position when they arrive over the folding-box, and at the place on the machine where they receive the final gumming, as also shown in the lastnamed figure. The said blank having, as above described, been partly gummed and conveyed to the opposite end of the machine directly over the folding-box and under the plunger If, as shown in Figs. 3 and 5, (partlyv in dottedlines,) there receives its final gumming by means of the following devices: The gum-box c", servmg the vertical gummer, is

IIO

between cross-heads, which slide on the crosshead guides a, to which are connected the slotted rods to, and the latter are connected to arms a on a rock-shaft, a by pins which pass through slots in said rods, and to said pins, and to one end of said rods, are connected the springs b, said springs serving to keep one end of said slots in said rods against said pins, and to allow the lower ends of arms a to swing away from the ends of rods (6, to which said springs are attached, when they can move said rods no farther in the same direction, so that when the gum-roller a strikes roller as it is propelled by said rods, arms a can complete their rocking motion, leaving roller a for an instant against roller 6 so that it may be more thoroughly gummed than it would be if only allowed to touch the latter roller and then move back. Said roller a is for said instant held against roller e by the tensional force of springs 12, and when said arms swing back roller (6 is carried away from roller c and drawn under the gummer (1, thereby applying the requisite gum thereto, and immediately moving from under it. In order to provide such a bed under the back flap of the envelope as will support the latter with sufficient rigidity to cause the gum to be properly applied when the vertical gummer a strikes it, and at the same time be variable enough toaccommodate itself to slight variations in the extent of the movements of said gummer, and when the gummer descends and no blank is under it to present no surface upon which gum can be deposited, I construct the flapplate b (see- Figs. 2, 3, and 5) with the groove 0 therein directly under the edge of the gummer a, and wide enough to letthe edge of the gummer descend into it without hitting its sides. When the blank arrives over the folding-box and under the plunger 12 its back flap lies in the position shown in dotted lines just outside of said groove in Figs. 3 and 5, and under the flap-holders 6, extending across said groove. Said blank while in this position lies with the portion'of its back flap upon which the gum is to be applied directly over said groove 0, its rear edge just supported on one border thereof, as shown. Thus supported from beneath, the surface of the flap directly over groove 0 is firm enough to properly receive the gum from the descending gummer a, and is yielding enough to allow for any slight variations in the down motions of the gummer; also, when a blank misses or fails to be carried under the gummer the gummed edge of thelatter will strike nothing when it reaches the place where the envelope should be, and can therefore deposit no gum to obstruct or injure the next blank that will arrive, where as the latter would be the case were the e11- velope-flap supported upon a full-faced bed in the usual way. Said flap-holders e serve to hold down the edge of the gummed flap when the gummer rises away from it. Immediately after said back flap has been gummed, as aforesaid,- the plunger b descends, and the envelope is folded and conveyed away from the foldingboX, to be dried and packed in the usual way.

The horizontal reciprocating movements of the before-described gumming devices are produced by their connection with the rock-shaft a, which is operated through suitable connection with the main driving-shaft of the machine, and the gummer c and the gum-roll a have simultaneous movements in both directions by means of the connection of the crossheads a, and those in which roller a is hung, with said rock-shaft by the two pairs of connecting-rods a" and (J, the first connecting arms, a, with roller a and the second connecting said arms with said cross-heads i which carry shaft of, to which arm 71, carrying said gummer c, is hung.

The gummer a on the rod 5 is supported and operated so that the final gumming of the envelope will take place whenthe flap thereof is placed over the groove 0, under said gummer, as follows: Said rod 5 is lifted by an arm on shaft 6, the latter having thereon an arm, 7, to which is connected a rod, 0, and the lat ter is connected to an eccentric on shaft (2, whereby said rod 0 is given a vertical reciprocating motion. A spring, 8, operates to draw rod 5 and the gummer a downward.

What I claim as my invention is- 1. In a machine for gumming and folding envelopes, the combination, with the feed-arm o and with the arm 0*, and the spring-arm e, secured thereto, of the air-tube 6 the airpump 6*, connected to said tube, andthe springseparator at, substantially as set forth.

2. The gummer 6, arm h, provided with arm 12 block if, guide-block o supported, on arm o", shaft cl", and rock-shaft a connected by arms a and rods a with said shaft d", the gum-roll a rods a connected with said arms a, and thegummer a, combined and operating substantially as set forth.

3. In combination, the rock-shaft a having arms a thereon, the slotted rods a, springs b, the gum-roller c and the fixed gum-roller e, substantially as set forth.

4. In combination with the blankways 2', having a passage thereunder to guide the blanks t" as they are moved from one end of the machine to the other, the blank-stops 2' pivoted upon said ways, andhaving one end hanging through a slot in said ways into said passage, substantially as set forth.

WVILLIAM D. SLATER. WVitnesses: a

E. M. Es'rns, H. A. CHAPIN. 

